David Sawhill with his prototype lock
David Sawhill with a prototype of the CYCool Dock.

You could say that David Sawhill's drive is tied to two wheels.

After earning his undergraduate degree from Temple in 1989, Sawhill came back for his MS in Engineering Management in 2019. In between, he's earned his PE license and held stints with a steel manufacturer and in project management, but his personal interest in bicycle commuting pointed him in another, more entrepreneurial direction.

"I recently left my position to pursue my passion, and am looking to create a product to help personal bicycle commuters secure their bikes, similar to bike share docking stations," Sawhill said. "It's a design that is aimed to fit all types of bicycles. We are able to do this because the basic design of the bicycle hasn't changed much in 125 years."

Sawhill's interest in bicycle commuting is borne out through his own experience of commuting to Temple, first in the 1980s and today as an alumnus, and adjunct professor. Though Philadelphia is among the top cities for bicycle commuters, Sawhill's product, CYCool Dock, is geared toward institutions looking to provide bicycle commuters a safe place to lock up.

It also gives him a way to combine his practical engineering background with the entrepreneurial experience from the Engineering Management graduate program. He pitched the product at the Fox School of Business Innovative Idea Competition in 2018 and plans to participate in the Be Your Own Boss Bowl in 2020. Throughout, Sawhill incorporated his experience managing projects with elements of financial reporting, incorporating customer patterns and behavior into his product development processes.

"It was really inspiring to be in the classroom again, to be able to test different concepts and lines of thinking," Sawhill said. "And to be immersed in Temple's culture of diversity again, which is so important. We are all now aware how small and fragile our planet is and that some issues can only be solved through global cooperation. Temple's students are poised to be the drivers of this next generation of strategic thinkers."

To learn more about the Engineering Management MS, visit https://www.temple.edu/academics/degree-programs/engineering-management-ms-en-emgt-ms.